About the Book

Title: Improbables

Author: Jonathan Charles Bruce

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Abigail Wren’s new life fresh out of college is dull, even with her (almost) dream job at the local newspaper. The only real excitement she can get is found between the pages of an endless stream of paranormal romance novels she can’t help but love. Then, on a snowy night in December, Abigail catches a glimpse of what could only be described as a werewolf. Enamored with the possibility, her investigation leads her to discover a paranormal population—improbables—harmoniously living in the midst of humanity. Between making eyes at a perpetually grumpy werewolf and hanging out with a vampire with a lust for life (and liquor), Abigail’s life takes a shaky step out of the ordinary and into the fantastic. Just outside of the sleepy town of Whitewater, however, a force of rage is building. Born of hate and delusion, a living cataclysm threatens to devour everyone in its path—human or improbable.

Author Bio

Jonathan Bruce began writing what amounted to terrible Star Trek: The Next Generation fan fiction when he was four… provided that you accept that “forcing other people to write what he said” is the same thing as “writing”. Although the original manuscripts are lost (or perhaps destroyed), we can rest assured that his prose has improved significantly since then. After high school, he began writing and directing plays which gradually improved depending on whom you ask. He discovered his love of a good fight scene after writing a Dracula knock-off which took a 19th century classic and made it less about Victorian yearning and 300% more about stabbing things in the jugular. He has a Master’s Degree in History, thanks largely to his thesis focusing on MUSIC, a Milwaukee-based school desegregation campaign during the 1960’s. He also enjoys discussing/making fun of pop culture of the 20th century and reading books of a non-historical nature. In his off moments, you can catch him writing for fun or making inane movies about nothing in particular.

Links

In what ways has your perception of time changed as you’ve grown older?
As performers or speakers we have curtains that open for a small window of time. We have to make the most of that time in order to build an emotional connection, share new perspectives and create an experience rather than meeting expectations. But, in reality, all of our time is like this in that our curtains are open but we never know when they might close.

We will never have more time than we do right now! So, why not now? Make it happen before it’s too late or we’ll miss the opportunity to experience, act, feel, learn, participate, connect and LIVE! Work hard doing what you enjoy but ALWAYS take the time to be a part of something bigger—your purpose and passion.

Take it all in as life is NOT a dress rehearsal and you don’t know when your curtains will close.

About the Book

Title: The Productivity BookAuthor: Michael BrechtGenre: Non-Fiction / Time Management
At Doodle, we understand that productivity isn’t how much you’re doing, it’s how much you get done. So, we spoke to 30 productivity and time management experts to figure out just how they do it. The result: The Doodle Productivity Book! It can’t make more hours in the day. But, it will show you how to get the most out of the time you do have, so you can work smarter, and not harder. Filled with personal stories, insightful anecdotes and sound advice, this book is a fresh examination of the habits that shape us—and how others have managed to break free of them.

​In the boardroom, Jason and Anh, chairs pulled out at one end and butting armrests, werein rapt discussion. Jason convulsively brought his coffee mug to his lips while Anh draped tightlycrossed arms under her skimpy bosom. Jason panned her as Shaku offered him a broad, politesmile, but he only offered a glazed eyes and a knit brow in return. Anh launched the inquisition.“Shaku, what were doing at the WYREC meeting? I didn’t see any invitationgoing in your mailbox.”“I actually am a big fan of Ruth’s,” Shaku lobbed.“Really, what you do mean, like a groupie?” Jason threw in.Shaku wanted to erase his smirk by stuffing his mouth with a carrot muffin. Shelet out low giggle instead, “So funny, Jason. No, actually, I called Ruth’s secretary andsaid that I heard Ruth was speaking and that I was newly minted agent and that I reallythought I could learn from her. Her secretary, said sure, why not.”“Sure, why not?” Anh launched the next hurl. “What’s her secretary’s name?”Shaku eyes widened, her teeth biting her lips. “Um, you know, Anh, when you getto my age, you can’t, well, remember everyone’s name. It was Sh- something, Shemara,Shamira, you know.”As if on cue, Jason and Anh raised their mugs and drank their coffee.“Really,” Jason uttered again, sniffing. “WYREC is supposed to be for seasonedprofessionals only, Shaku. You weren’t supposed to be there.”“I know, and I explained that to Ruth’s secretary…”“Shemara or Shamira,” Anh interjected.“Exactly.”“Maybe it was Shakira,” Jason punted, while Anh snickered.Shaku dropped her gaze to her watch: enough time to use the washroom beforereturning for the meeting. When she crept back to the boardroom, the door was opened.Anh and Jason had vanquished any signs of their accost, their chairs returned to theirchaste, original positions at the table. Most of the other agents had filed in and foundseats: Aldina, her freshly-highlighted hair drawn up revealing the sinewy muscles of abronzed neck, Oksana, in a Pucci-esque printed blouse that stretched over her soccer-ballsizedpregnancy and flowing, palazzo pants; and Usman the well-read yet irrevocablyTotal Uncle, with his coarse, taut black hair worn as a weave. Winson hated being thefirst one in at a meeting; he would wait a few minutes, ensure everyone had moments fortheir greetings, and settling into their seats before he would swoop in. Melissa X., hisassistant, everyone’s assistant really, had arranged for a carafe of coffee, an urn of hotwater for the tea lovers, a basket of black and green teas and a tray of biscuits. Melissa X.must also have set up the projector. On the boardroom whiteboard was the introductorypage of a PowerPoint. Soaring to New Galaxies: Evolving SuperStar for the 21st Century.

About the Book

Title: The Real Estate of ThingsAuthor: Nitin DeckhaGenre: Literary FictionThe Real Estate of Things is a comedic story about real estate, spirituality and politics in the sprawling, multicultural suburb of West York.Fifty-­‐something Shaku Sehgal is looking for a new lease of life. With two grown kids and a supportive accountant husband who gardens, she’s followed her best friend, Neelam, into the exciting world of real estate. While she dreams of becoming the premier realtor of West York City, a position currently held by the much envied, Ruth Leslie, Shaku’s languishing at her current brokerage, SuperStar Realty.To jumpstart her career, Shaku sneaks into a real estate conference and learns about a new redevelopment contest for a local derelict site. Part of the prize is to be an exclusive broker for the chosen new development. Shaku successfully pitches it to her brokerage, teams up with the young up-­‐and-­‐coming realtor, Jason Sevende, and they throw their hat into the contest.Soon, Shaku and Jason find themselves competing against teams across the city, including Shaku’s friend, Neelam and the doyenne of luxury realty, Ruth Leslie. Not only that, the contest draws the attention of global spiritual guru, Chakra Sahib, and the ire of a seemingly anonymous movement protesting and threatening to derail the whole redevelopment.Join Shaku, Jason and the band of realtors as they confront obstacles and reflect on the meanings of success, love and friendship in this epic race amongst realtors, The Real Estate of Things.

Author Bio

Nitin Deckha is the author of a collection of short stories, Shopping for Sabzi (2008). His fiction has been published in magazines, edited collections, and chapbooks and he has read his work across Canada, the US and India. In 2010, he was featured as part of the Canadian Writers in Person lecture series at York University, Toronto. Nitin holds a PhD in Anthropology and has taught social sciences for over a decade. More recently, he completed certification in Adult Training and Development (MCATD, CTDP) and crafts and leads learning and organizational change. He lives in Toronto. Contact him at @RealEstateofThiLinks

Title: The Horse ListAuthor: Anna LoresGenre: Erotic Romance / Romantic SuspenseRecently divorced from an abusive husband still intent to control her, Ava Black has two weeks before she moves back to her conservative hometown.Encouraged by her best friend, she resurrects the wish list she started as a young girl when her number one desire was her very own horse. Over the years, The Horse List had become a mature list of her most erotic fantasies and a symbol of her rebirth as an independent woman. She can complete some of the items alone, but not everything. She needs an experienced partner with resources and the connections to places she’s only dreamed of going.Could the handsome and wealthy artist Eric North be the partner she seeks? Will her drive to complete the list be enough to overcome her fear of him discovering the scars left from years of abuse? Will Eric protect her from her ex-husband, or will she go home to start over and give up her one chance to complete The Horse List?

Author Bio

​Anna started writing romance as a by-product of insomnia. After a year of late night reading, she borrowed her son’s laptop after he went to bed each night, and set about breathing life to her very own characters. After a month of writing in the middle of the night, she was surprised with a new laptop of her own to pursue her dreams. With a B.A. in English Literature and a desire to fill her world with wonderful stories she and her close friends could not just talk about, but gush over, she shed her job as mom of three in the late night hours and assumed her alter ego of dirty girl.

Title: Blood Gold RevengeAuthor: Dave WrightGenre: Thriller“A lot of things have happened up this way over the years. There’s got to be at least six missing person’s that I have heard of.”There is gold in the vastness of the Australian outback, and a special breed of men who prospect for it. Tim is bush-hardened and skilled; the love for this harsh country comes naturally. His prospecting partner John shares Tim’s love of the freedom, but times have changed. A new breed of prospector has reason to appreciate the desolate isolation of the bush — but it is not gold he is after. The country’s biggest meth lab is doing well, and its owner, Mr C. does not appreciate passers-by.The cattle on the Hatchet River Station homestead have not been mustered for the past ten years. The brutish Maxine, her husband Scrubber, and her brother Price have agreed to run interference for Mr C.; after all, they have always enjoyed killing the odd lone prospector when they had the chance.But they make a mistake, and the solitary prospector they pick off one day was not alone as they thought. There are witnesses to the crime this time, and they want justice for their friend. Tired of the Hatchet River trio’s murdering ways, intimidation and threats, and suspecting local police corruption, Tim, Jack and Sam call in the state authorities.A massive search begins; the hunters become the hunted, the innocent pay for the crimes of the guilty and the good guys don’t always win. But the net does tighten. The well-camouflaged drug lab explode in flames and the blood of many, good and bad, soak into the parched land in a spectacular finale. It is not the authorities who bring justice to Hatchet River, however, but a band of indomitable bushies, who have never learned to say die.Author Bio

The author resides in sunny North Queensland, mostly raised in the outback with schooling done via correspondence. Finishing off grade 10 at age 15 in Redcliffe before starting work in the remote gold mines of Northern Australia 34 years ago. To this day the author has barely pick up a novel or put pen to paper before starting on this book. In real life when time permits he still rides the hills prospecting for gold with his mates and is currently part way through writing the sequel.